15 Job Interview Questions That Can Make You Want to Walk Out

Some job interviews turn out to be so memorable that it doesn’t matter what the job vacancy was — all the funniest things happen right in the process. We put together a few stories about interviews that candidates can’t forget, no matter how hard they try.

• I went to an interview for a server position. They asked me, “When was the last time you read a book? What book was it?” I answered, “The Richest Man in Babylon.” Then they asked me to explain who had recommended it and what I had learned from it. © akmvaaika.23 / Threads
• They asked me to explain why Picasso is considered a talented artist, even though he painted what looked like scribbles. Honestly, it really annoyed me. How can someone be so ignorant... © vin.artist.7 / Threads
• The job entailed a lot of filing of papers, so I got asked, “How do you best file things in folders alphabetically?” I was like, “Uh... with a folder for each letter, and then put the folders in alphabetical order...” She said, “Good... good...” and jotted down some notes. © dougiebgood / Reddit

• I don’t like it when interviewers, under the guise of “we’re like one big family here,” start prying too much into your personal life. In my experience, there were a few times when employers completely ignored the line between personal and professional.
  Once, during an interview, the director began asking who I live with. When I said I live with my mom, he asked about my dad. I told him my parents are divorced, and he pressed further — where he lives, who he lives with, whether he pays child support, if I’m in contact with him now.
  Surprised, I answered all of his questions, because he asked them in an almost intimidating tone. He asked all this in front of 2 employees, who unintentionally became witnesses to my personal details. He also asked how much my mom earns, who is the breadwinner, how our household is managed, and a bunch of other personal questions. It was very unpleasant. © dianathenumber1 / Threads
• Interviewer picks up phone: What’s your wife’s number? Me: Um, she’s in the US, and it’s 2 a.m. there. Why would you want to call my wife?
  Interviewer: Is your mother also in the US? Me: Yes. Why? Interviewer: Well, say I would call your wife or mother. What would they say is your most annoying habit? © MunichRob / Reddit

• “Are you in a relationship? Got it. How long have you been together? Do you consider it serious? Do you see a future with your partner?”
  I was applying for a support position at a well-known website. They even asked for my social media accounts! On top of that, they required all sorts of family information in the questionnaire, including addresses and workplaces. © linguistki / Threads
• “If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?” I was interviewing for an analyst position, so I went for a “decision tree.” Got the job. © ntlslayer95 / Reddit
• Completely technical interview. Then at the end of the interview, they asked me if I was a fruit or a vegetable, what would I be and why. I laughed, and asked them to repeat the question. They did, quite earnestly.
  I said I would be a Granny Smith apple, since I was a little tart, but once baked into a pie with other apples, I was delicious. It was a group interview over the phone. They murmured that it was a good answer and thanked me for my time. I did not get the job. © PM-ME_TOYOUR_TITS_PLS / Reddit

• “What is your opinion on wealthy people?” I was 22, fresh out of college, and my first interview was working at a private, small bank. I wasn’t expecting that question. © trolldoll26 / Reddit
• I used to be a headhunter, and I was debriefing a candidate after an interview with a Biotech company. He said they asked him to estimate how many gas stations there were in the USA. He ended up being pretty close.
  I asked him how he got there. He said he knew how many gas stations were in his hometown, he knew how many people lived in his hometown so he took that ratio and applied it to the estimated population of the US. Pretty basic, but something I didn’t come to on the spot. He didn’t get the job. © MortgageOk4627 / Reddit
• Once at an interview, they asked me what my zodiac sign was. Surprised, I said, “Pisces.” They told me I wouldn’t fit in with the team because everyone there was an Aries. Needless to say, I didn’t get the job. © Olga T. / Dzen
• I once had an interview that seemed to be going well until the very end, when the company owner said, “Now be honest, where have you worked and for how long? I don’t believe that at 26, with a 3-year-old, you have an uninterrupted 9 years of experience.”
  The thing is, I started school at 6, skipped a grade, and at 14 went straight to a technical school. By 16, during my third year, I was doing an internship at a company, and they offered me a job after I graduated. By 17, I was officially working.
  I never took maternity leave, so I kept working. I never thought I’d need to bring a copy of my employment record to an interview. © Valentina K / ADME

• I got a little revenge during an interview. The HR asked me about my stress tolerance, so at the next stage with the directors, I asked them what situations they had faced that now they had to ask such questions. The look on the director’s face and his answer were priceless. © helga.kurakova / Threads
• I went to an interview for a designer position and was given a questionnaire about leadership: “Where do you see yourself in 1, 3, and 5 years at our company?” I wrote that I’d be an art director, then the director, and eventually the owner of their company.
  The owner’s eye twitched, and he said they could pay me up to 40K, not from the 40K listed in the job ad. I told him that wasn’t enough, and I wanted 60K; he said no. I stood up and walked out.
  The next day, he called and agreed to 60K. I told him, “60K was yesterday. Today I want 70K.” © khorokhorya / Threads
• During a radio job interview:
  “Do you know how to work with databases?”
  “Yes, I worked with a telecom company’s databases.”
  “And you didn’t happen to take any of that data with you, did you?” © Altynai / Dzen

And here are more stories about unforgettable job interviews.